As stated by Bohinski, in Modern Concepts in Biochemistry, "the totality of cellular activity is intimately dependent on the type and concentration of ionic materials within the cell--both of which are subject to change by alterations in the extracellular environment." Allyn & Bacon, Boston, 1973! As stated by Dressler and Potter in Discovering Enzymes, "Not to put too fine a point on it, enzymes control all of the chemical transformations in the living world." SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN LIBRARY, New York, 1991!.
Much cellular activity is catalyzed or mediated by enzymes, themselves dependent upon associated ions, as via ion activators or ion-dependent cofactors. In general, the more complex an organism, the more complex and numerous its enzymes become, and the more likely it can survive some enzymatic irregularity, such as inadequate concentration or even absence of a given enzyme. Whereas metabolism in vertebrates depends upon thousands of enzymes, whose activity may require presence of other enzymes or the like, more primitive life forms (e.g., bacteria), get along with fewer enzymes, often controlled only by an ion activator. Primitive biochemical units, such as viruses, which are associated with fewer enzymes, or maybe with only one or part thereof, may have their metabolism or replication ended by enzyme dysfunction.
Where certain biocatalysis is undesirable, interference with associated ions may be beneficial. Whereas Bohinski emphasizes pH as a determining factor, recent researchers have given more weight to susceptibility of enzymes to temperature change, as in "heat shock" treatment, yet others prefer radiation. However, all of these approaches have severe limitations and serious side effects. Researchers in the last decade have focused more upon enzyme inhibitors, usually organic, administered to the host organism, again often causing deleterious side effects.
The present invention directs attention to adsorption of ions or other enzymatic sub-units necessary for biocatalysis via ion-exchangers, such as hydrous aluminosilicate compositions, here exemplified specifically by zeolites, which may be natural or synthetic. Both natural and synthetic zeolites are well known as carriers of ionic substances often intended to catalyze certain chemical activity.
Furthermore, sometimes zeolites are used, either alone or distributed within an organic polymer, to convey an organic toxin, a chelate, or a heavy metal ion as a bactericide or fungicide, as in cosmetics and medicines. See, for example, Yoshimoto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,107 (1989); Hagiwara et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,775,585 (1988), 4,911,898 (1990), and 4,959,268 (1990).
Many specific uses of zeolites in the role of carriers of substances harmful to biological, sometimes enzyme-dependent, activity are known and could be cited. The present invention utilizes zeolites in a quite different inhibitory manner from such prior art.